The present invention relates to a process for replacing candle wicks in candles having poor wick burning or uneven wax consumption or the like.
In the past, candles typically have been made of wax having a wick extending along the center axis of the formed candle. The wick may be made of cotton or other material. However, candles often burn unevenly and thus rapidly become unusable because the wick is broken or burned off or unable to be burn due to becoming covered by wax.
The present invention solves these problems by providing a process for adding a new wick to a candle and also for trimming excess wax from the candle. A needle-like element is heated and inserted into the top of a candle to melt wax sufficiently for a wick to be inserted. The wax can then be solidified around the wick. In addition, multiple wicks can be placed within the candle and the heated needle-like element can be used to trim uneven wax. Candles can be initially molded without a wick to allow a person to add wicks after a candle has been made to thereby customize a candle as desired by the individual. This can also provide safer candles since many candle wicks contain zinc which can be harmful when burned and the present process allows for the insertion of a safer wick in the candle.
The following U.S. patents illustrate electrically heated tools for different purposes including wax shaping tools. The Anton patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,385, shows an electric heating and soldering gun while the Caliri U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,077 is for a soldering tool. The Ellis U.S. Pat. No. 2,119,908 discloses a wax modeling tool for dental work that is heated with gas while the Westerback et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,120,598 discloses another wax shaping tool for dental molds. It does not show a tip. The Huffman U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,357 shows another wax shaping tool. The Christensen U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,513 illustrates a wax carving tool with various heating tips. The Patillo et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,696 shows an electrically heated wax shaping tool with different tips while the Anderson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,526 is for an electrically heated acupuncture needle. The German patent No. 856,929 shows a wax shaping tool.
In contrast to these prior patents, the present invention is for a method of adding a wick to an existing candle or to a block of wax and includes the steps of selecting a specific wick cavity forming tool having a heated elongated tip along with a shoulder to mark the insertion depth for the tip and then heating the elongated tip and inserting the elongated tip into a wax candle to form a bore therein having softened wax therearound so that the wick can be inserted into the candle bore while the surrounding candle wax is softened to either replace an existing candle wick or to add new candle wicks to an existing candle.